Dental Public Health and Education Commons^™

Fluoridation: Our History, Our Legacy, James Wieland Dds

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

2020 marks the 75th anniversary of one of the world’s most dramatic public health initiatives, a public health project that dramatically improved the oral health of millions of people, not only in the United States but throughout the world. On Jan. 25, 1945, the Grand Rapids Study was launched and the Furniture City became the world’s first to adjust the fluoride level of its public water supply.

This landmark trial established the use of fluoridation as a safe, effective, and economical public health measure to prevent tooth decay.

How the Grand Rapids Study began is a fascinating story. Even though …

The Studies That Shaped A Science-Based Profession, Christopher J. Smiley

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

Editorial on science-based public health policy and the lessons of the Grand Rapids Study.

Staff Matters: Employee Rights And The Whistleblower’S Protection Act, Jodi Schafer Sphr, Shrm-Scp

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

Staff Matters column on employee rights and the Whistleblower Protection Act.

The Flint Water Crisis And Community Water Fluoridation: A Lesson In Communication. Communicating With The Public And Connecting With Community Leaders, Traci J. Dantzler Dds, Raymond Gist Dds

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

This article presents how not only was Flint’s water compromised lead contamination of residential waterlines during the Flint Water Crisis, but area dentists had to work hard to refute unsubstantiated claims that adding fluoride to the community water supply increased the level of lead in the water. Oral health advocacy to reassure citizens and build confidence in the community water supply following remediation efforts required sharing the best evidence while most importantly actively listening to assure that community members were heard; that they felt that they have a voice, and to know that we are here to listen to their …

J Mich Dent Assoc March 2020

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

The 75th anniversary of the transformative public health initiative, community water fluoridation, is commemorated in this issue. Originating in Grand Rapids in 1945, its profound impact is explored, emphasizing ongoing celebrations and the imperative of continued advocacy for future generations. The response to the Fling water crisis illustrates colleagues' efforts to restore trust in community water. The publication encompasses insights into the evidence-based dentistry search process and its practical implementation, while offering valuable departmental articles including Dentistry and the Law, Human Resource/Staff Management guidance, and essential updates in News-You-Need.

Celebrate! The Legacy Of Community Water Fluoridation Continues In Grand Rapids, James Wieland Dds

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

Michigan dentistry continues to tell the world about the great advance in public health that began in Grand Rapids 75 years ago. This article looks back at past commemorations, and a tribute to those who worked so hard to make a permanent monument to community water fluoridation.

Conducting A 10-Minute Search For Evidence To Aid In Clinical Decision-Making, Mark Maceachern Mlis

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

This article is a continuation of the Journal’s series on implementing EBD process into clinical practice. The abundance of scientific literature can make it difficult to find the best evidence to answer a clinical question. This article presents strategies for conducting a 10-minute search for the best evidence, including:

• Developing a PICO question to focus the search.
• Using free search engines such as PubMed, Google Scholar, TRIP, PubMed Clinical Queries, Medline-Plus.gov, Epistemonikos, and other online resources such as published ADA Clinical Practice Guidelines.
• Using keywords with search properties, such as Boolean Operators and filters, to discover specific types of articles, …

Community Water Fluoridation’S Legacy: Protect It Or Lose It, Johnny Johnson Dmd, Ms

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

This article presents advocacy strategies to promote and preserve community water fluoridation initiatives. The American Fluoridation Society, patterned after the British Fluoridation Society, brings dentists, health experts, and other allies and provides evidence-based resources to address a broad spectrum of assertion by fluoridation opponents.

J Mich Dent Assoc February 2020

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

Every month,The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association brings news, information, and features about Michigan dentistry to our state's oral health community and the MDA's 6,200+ members. No publication reaches more Michigan dentists!

In this issue, the reader will find the following original content:

• A cover story on the 2020 MDA Annual Session
• A feature covering student perspectives on the Opioid Crisis
• News you need, Editorial and regular department articles on MDA Foundation activities, Dentistry and the Law, Staff Matters, Headquarters Report, and component news

This issue also includes articles reprinted with permission:

• “Muscle Deprogramming: A Source of Confusion”, …

Using Big Data To Promote Precision Oral Health In The Context Of A Learning Healthcare System, Joseph Finkelstein, Frederick Zhang, Seth A. Levitin, David Cappelli

Dental Medicine Faculty Research

There has been a call for evidence‐based oral healthcare guidelines, to improve precision dentistry and oral healthcare delivery. The main challenges to this goal are the current lack of up‐to‐date evidence, the limited integrative analytical data sets, and the slow translations to routine care delivery. Overcoming these issues requires knowledge discovery pipelines based on big data and health analytics, intelligent integrative informatics approaches, and learning health systems. This article examines how this can be accomplished by utilizing big data. These data can be gathered from four major streams: patients, clinical data, biological data, and normative data sets. All these must …

Utilization Of Dental Services Among Medicaid Enrolled Pregnant Women In Virginia, Shillpa Naavaal, Tegwyn Brickhouse, Jonathan W. Yu, Joann Wells

Philips Institute for Oral Health Research Publications

The study evaluated the impact of the Virginia Medicaid dental benefit on dental services utilization among pregnant women enrolled in Medicaid. Data from a total of 10,395 women who had at least one dental claim during the 2015-2017 period were included in the study. The number of dental visits and dental services utilized per person grew from an average of 2.2 visits and 7 services in 2015 to 3.1 visits and 10.5 services in 2017, respectively. In 2017, of all dental services used, 6% were for preventive services and 59% were for treatment services. Continued efforts and targeted interventions are …

National Children's Dental Health Month Activity Book (2020), American Dental Association Foundation

National Children's Dental Health Month

No abstract provided.

National Children’S Dental Health Month - Program Planning Guide (2020), American Dental Association Foundation

National Children's Dental Health Month

No abstract provided.

National Children's Dental Health Month Poster "Fluoride In Water Prevents Cavities" (2020), American Dental Association Foundation

National Children's Dental Health Month

No abstract provided.

Cartel Del Mes Nacional De La Salud Dental Infantil "El Fluoruro En El Agua Previene Las Caries" [Spanish Language Version: Fluoride In Water Prevents Cavities] (2020), American Dental Association Foundation

National Children's Dental Health Month

No abstract provided.

Lifestyle Risk Factor Related Disparities In Oral Cancer Examination In The U.S: A Population-Based Cross-Sectional Study, Aderonke A. Akinkugbe, Dina T. Garcia, Tegwyn H. Brickhouse, Maghboeba Mosavel

Dental Public Health and Policy Publications

Background: Oral cancers account for 3% of annual U.S. cancer diagnosis, 2 in 5 of which are diagnosed late when prognosis is poor. The purpose of this study was to report the population-level prevalence of oral cancer examination among adult smokers and alcohol drinkers and assess if these modifiable lifestyle factors are associated with receiving an oral cancer examination.

Methods: Adult participants ≥30 years (n = 9374) of the 2013–2016 cycles of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were included. Oral cancer examination (yes/no), smoking (never, former, current) and alcohol use (abstainers, former, current) were self-reported. Survey-logistic regression …

Impact Of Making Dental Care Affordable On Quality Of Life In Adults Aged 45 Years And Older, Shillpa Naavaal, Susan O. Griffin, Judith A. Jones

Dental Public Health and Policy Publications

Objective:

The objective of this study was to examine the associations between self-reported ability to afford dental care and quality of life in adults aged 45 years and older.

Method:

We used publicly available cross-sectional data from the 2008 National Health Interview Survey and its oral health supplement for 11,760 adults aged 45+ years. The increased probabilities of reporting dental problems attributable to an inability to afford dental care were estimated from multivariate models and combined with respective dental problem disability weights from the Global Burden of Disease to measure loss in quality of life.

Results:

Prevalence of reported inability …

Self-Reported Oral Health Status Among Adults Aged 40+ Years With And Without Vision Impairment: National Health Interview Survey, 2008, John E. Crews, Chiu-Fang Chou, Shillpa Naavaal, Susan O. Griffin, Jinan B. Saaddine

Dental Public Health and Policy Publications

Purpose: To examine self-reported oral health among adults aged 40 years and older with and without vision impairment.

Design: Cross-sectional, with a nationally representative sample.

Methods: We used publicly available data from the Oral Health Module, last administered in 2008, of the National Health Interview Survey. Outcome variables included fair/poor oral health status, mouth condition compared to others the same age, mouth problems (mouth sores, difficulty eating, dry mouth, bad breath, and/or jaw pain), teeth problems (toothache; broken/missing fillings or teeth; loose, crooked, or stained teeth; and/or bleeding gums), and lack of social participation. Using descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic …

Libro De Actividades Por El Mes Nacional De La Salud Dental Infantil [Spanish Language Version: National Children's Dental Health Month Activity Book] (2020), American Dental Association Foundation

National Children's Dental Health Month

No abstract provided.

Maintaining Effective Infection Control Protocol, Lauren Eusner, Kimberly Lintag

Dental Hygiene Faculty Publications

The safety of clinicians and patients in the dental office rests on adherence to evidence-based infection control standards.

The Relationship Between Oral Health Literacy And Periodontal Health Status Among The Elderly In Panare, Pattani, Thailand, Panat Piyakhunakorn

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

This study aimed to determine the association between oral health literacy (OHL) and periodontal status among Thailand's older population. This cross-sectional study was conducted between 1 July and 30 September 2020 at HPHs in, Panare, Pattani, Thailand. A total of 216 independent living older adults, participated in the study. OHL data were obtained using the Thai version of Health Literacy in Dentistry (HeLD‐Th). Trained interviewers performed face-to-face interviews for oral health-related behaviours information. The periodontal status was collected through intra-oral examination by a calibrated examiner. Data were analyzed using the SPSS version 22. Mann–Whitney U tests, Chi-Square tests, and Binary …

Using Motivational Interviewing And Technology To Increase Confidence In Nutritional Counseling Among Dental Hygienists: A Thesis, Heather Anderson

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

Purpose: Research shows definite connections between food choices and caries, periodontal disease, and oral cancer. Dental hygienists have the unique opportunity to educate patients on how nutrition can improve oral health. Dental hygiene students are introduced to these concepts but struggle to gain confidence to share this knowledge with patients. This study looked at an educational module on motivational interviewing (MI) and an electronic assessment tool to build student confidence with nutritional counseling.

Methods: Students participated in an educational module to review MI and introduce the electronic nutritional risk assessment and counseling tool. Prior to the module, participants completed a …

Effect Of Different Scaling Methods And Materials On The Enamel Surface Topography: An In Vitro Sem Study, Mahmoud Al Ankily, Fatma Makkeyah, Mohamed Shamel, Mahmoud Bakr

Dentistry

Aims and Objectives: Scaling is important for maintenance of gingival and periodontal conditions. These procedures have a harmful effect on the dental hard tissues. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of hand and ultrasonic instruments made of stainless and titanium on the surface properties of enamel. Materials and Methods: Forty extracted premolars were used in this in vitro study and were randomly divided into four groups (n = 10). Group I received ultrasonic scaling with stainless steel tip, group II received ultrasonic scaling with titanium tip, group III hand scaling with stainless steel tip, and group …

Dental Therapists' Professional Role And Possible Futures Within The Malaysian Dental Workforce, Zakaria Noor Azhani

Student Works (2020-2029)

Introduction: The Malaysian Dental Act 2018 has recently superseded the Dental Act 1971. Under this Act, dental therapists are required to register under the Therapist Division, are allowed to work at the private practice, and treat a person up to the age of 18 years old under direct supervision of dentist. It is important to assess the perceptions among essential stakeholders with regards these changes and how it affects the future dental therapists’ workforce. Objectives: To explore the dental therapist future workforce dynamics across sectors (public-private) in Malaysia. Materials and methods: In Phase 1, three parallel quantitative surveys were conducted …

Acculturative Stress, Social Support And Oral Health Related Quality Of Life Among International Graduate Students In Malaysian Public Universities, Ben Ghasheer Hala Fathalla

Student Works (2020-2029)

Background: Oral health related quality of life (OHRQoL) reflects the impact of the oral condition on physical, social, and psychological functioning and well-being from an individual’s perspective. It is an important health outcome that is influenced by several factors which together are known as the determinants of health. Psychosocial factors are among many other factors that have a crucial role in shaping oral health. Understanding their role in relation to diminished oral health has gained more interest in recent years since such factors could serve as points of intervention for new oral health promotion strategies. Aim: This study aimed to …

The Effect And Feasibility Of The Sims Programme To Improve Preschool Children's Oral Hygiene Level And Related Behaviours: A Cluster Randomised Control Trial, Anwar Nurul Hayati

Student Works (2020-2029)

Background: The preschool oral healthcare programme (POHP) was introduced by the Ministry of Health in 1984 to provide oral healthcare to 5-6-year-old children in Malaysia. Due to some limitations, a new programme called the ‘Senyuman Indah Milik Semua’ Programme (SIMSP) was introduced with the aim to improvise the POHP. In the SIMSP, a triad of dental therapists (DTs), teachers, and parents was set up to promote children’s oral hygiene level, oral health behaviours (OHBs), and parents’ oral health literacy (OHL). The POHP only involved DTs. Objectives: The primary objective of the study was to assess the effect of SIMSP versus …

J Mich Dent Assoc January 2020

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

Every month, The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association brings news, information, and features about Michigan dentistry to our state's oral health community and the MDA's 6,200+ members. No publication reaches more Michigan dentists!

In this issue, the reader will find the following original content:

• A cover story on "Preventing Pediatric Obesity: How the Dental Team Can Help”.
• “We Can Make a Difference in a Child’s Life”, a feature with a special message to MDA members from Suzanne Port, DDS, MS, president of the Michigan Academy of Pediatric Dentistry.
• A feature on “The Age-1 Visit: Time to Welcome Children into …

Global Interest For Health Professions Education: A Geographic And Temporal Analyses Through Web Search Differences From 2010-2019, Junhel Dalanon, Yoshizo Matsuka

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to analyze the spatio-temporal differences in web search trends for dental degrees (DD), medical degrees (MD), and nursing degrees (ND) across 197 countries from 2010 to 2019. Method: A search string was used to initiate a search query using Google Trends. The parameters used were DD, MD, and ND as search terms; worldwide as Location; 2010 to 2019 as time range; health education & medical training as category; and web search as database. Data were downloaded and analyzed. Results: Via one-way ANOVA and post hoc Dunnett test, the searches for DD were found …

Protecting Public Health, Susan H. Davide, Christine Macarelli, Anty Lam

Publications and Research

In light of declining vaccination rates, oral health professionals need to be knowledgeable about current vaccine recommendations so they can best advise their patients and support public health.

Tobacco Cessation In A Dental School Setting, Kerri T. Simpson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Introduction

Tobacco use remains the single largest preventable cause of death in the United States. Currently, the prevalence of tobacco use is 20.7% in adults (≥18 years old) and 31.2% among high school students. According to various studies, over 60% of Americans want to quit tobacco, but it takes a person several attempts to quit before they are successful. There is limited data in the literature that discusses the effectiveness of tobacco cessation programs in US dental schools. Therefore, information on the effectiveness of a tobacco cessation program in a dental school setting could benefit this state and the problem …